AIA’s annual Honor awards celebrate excellence in local architecture and architectural design by honoring projects completed, individual architects, students, and community leaders for their contributions to the profession. Founded in 1857, AIA is the preeminent professional organization for architects across the country, working to create more valuable, healthy, secure, and sustainable buildings, neighborhoods, and communities through the creation and promotion of ethical standards and code of conduct for all members.

As part of the Kentwood’s 2021 bond, a new culinary arts center addition replaced the high school’s 1970s style kitchen with a state-of-the-art facility. New appliances and technology support innovative curriculum in the new instructional kitchen, which now provides students with on-campus access to technical programs that prepare students for real-world experiences after high school. 

“Our district prides itself on our ability to provide real-world experiences and innovative learning,” said Kevin Polston, Superintendent at Kentwood Public Schools. “The new culinary arts spaces exemplify that mission by giving students meaningful skills and practical knowledge that will positively influence their futures.”

East Kentwood High School currently offers two levels of culinary arts classes: an introductory class for students to learn basic cooking techniques, measurements, nutrition, and safety; and another where students learn more advanced techniques and commercial-level cooking.

“The learning that takes place in our culinary arts facility involves more than just a cooking class. Students are building lifelong skills in time management, teamwork, food safety, and professional service — skills that directly translate into careers and college opportunities,” said Chef Donald Ram, East Kentwood High School Culinary Arts Instructor.

Place-based learning has been defined by the Center for Place-Based Learning and Community Engagement as an immersive learning experience that “places students in local heritage, cultures, landscapes, opportunities and experiences, and uses these as a foundation for the study of language arts, mathematics, social studies, science and other subjects across the curriculum.” Think of a family-run farm that teaches the next generation of family members by daily observation and hands-on participation – that is place-based learning in action. Similarly, taking a trip to the beach, hiking in the woods, or visiting a museum creates the opportunity to immerse yourself in an educational experience centered on place.

Place-based learning can happen on any scale, from singular classes within existing curriculum to entire schools dedicated to the practice. Examples of place-based education learning models may look like:

• Experiential Learning
• Project-Based Learning
• Social & Emotional Learning
• Career-Technical Education

Whether presented in a formal or informal manner, there are many benefits to consider in support of place-based education.

Educational design that incorporates place-based learning concepts can inspire students to engage with their everyday surroundings. The Little Hawks Discovery Preschool, a nature-based learning center in Holland, does just that. Little Hawks use their unique site to create an outdoor learning-based curriculum where students engage the natural surroundings to foster learning. Located on the Outdoor Discovery Center’s Nature Preserve, both the site and the building work together to reinforce the students’ exploration of the natural world. The building is designed to support a curriculum that primarily takes place outdoors, while the preschool building plays a secondary role. In this environment, children are encouraged to ask open-ended questions, work in groups, observe nature around them, and experiment.

In Comstock, current STEM Academy students participate in a variety of hands-on, enriching science projects including a flagship program for the third-grade class. Their Maple Tree Tapping Unit teaches students the entire process of creating maple syrup – from tapping the trees and boiling the sap, to enjoying the final product. The district’s new STEM academy, currently under construction, will even feature an on-site sugar maple grove for this specific program, truly integrating the program’s curriculum into the school design, exemplifying place-based learning

Even when full immersive experiences are not available, building design can complement place-based learning models and connect students to their local environment. At Shelby Public Schools new elementary school, it was important that the design fit into the culture of the surrounding community, with special attention being paid to the local agricultural landscape and aesthetic. The design sets the facility’s three classroom wings into the landscape to resemble barns in a field. The exterior and interior design intentionally reflects the demographic and agricultural industry, reflecting nature from the local region to make students feel more comfortable and welcome. Graphics throughout the school also considered the area’s multilingual community, giving all students a chance to engage with English and Spanish languages.

Advancing Manufacturing Education in Indiana

Nearly 1 in 3 jobs in the South Bend–Elkhart region is represented by the manufacturing sector. With nearly 700 manufacturing companies in Elkhart County alone, Ivy Tech Community College’s South Bend–Elkhart campus is positioned to train the next generation workforce in manufacturing, industry, and automation. Increasing enrollment in the Advanced Manufacturing Degree (ADMF) program and demand for highly skilled employees with internationally recognized credentials in advanced automation, robotics, and manufacturing have propelled the urgent need for a facility like the new Center for Advanced Manufacturing & Automation.

This state-of-the-art training facility bridges the gap between digital transformation and operational adoption in industry. The space allows Ivy Tech the flexibility over the next 10-15 years to become more future-focused, especially as Industry 4.0 and the Internet of Things expands. In response to the needs of the future workforce, Ivy Tech is developing a new IIoT Advanced Manufacturing degree to complement the resources afforded by the Center for Advanced Manufacturing & Automation and professional credentials from the Smart Automation Credentialing Alliance. Additionally, Lippert Components, Inc. (LCI), the county’s largest manufacturer, is investing over $60 million in two highly automated facilities in the region, and LCI is partnering with Ivy Tech to create the curriculum and train their team members.

Much more than simply a place to house equipment, our team envisioned this space as a “lab” that provides a place for students to learn, grow, and be challenged as they develop the skills needed by future employers, securing careers that contribute to the vitality of the region’s economy and community. The Center for Advanced Manufacturing & Automation is a bridge between Ivy Tech and surrounding industry, increasing visibility of the campus as well as making visible to students their future careers.

“With the completion of the Center…we’re pursuing our dream of transforming our region from being one of the largest manufacturing hubs in the state into being the largest manufacturing hub in the country,” said David K. Balkin, Former Chancellor, Ivy Tech Community College South Bend – Elkhart

A Consolidated Campus for Collaboration

With community partners, GMB transformed a former department store into a 21^st century learning space and making a college education more accessible to students in the Lakeshore community of Holland. The new Grand Rapids Community College (GRCC) Lakeshore Campus, consolidated the programs from four separate leased buildings, creating synergy and collaboration across programs that are physically co-located.

Buying the former retail building gives the college future flexibility to grow in the much larger footprint – a consolidated, 52,000-square-foot campus facility – and provides opportunities for operational efficiencies and partnerships with Grand Valley State University’s Meijer campus. A consolidated campus establishes a strong community presence, truly embedding the college – and education – in a community.

The 52,000 square foot renovated GRCC Lakeshore building opened last fall and includes classrooms and labs for workforce development and arts and sciences, as well as multiple student services such as testing, counseling, placement, and a satellite library. The space plan is organized around the machine tool area to the north with perimeter classrooms ringing the exterior. Student support spaces and science labs act as islands within the floor plan, so that views from the main entrance focus on the machine tool lab. Enlarged corridors act as extensions of the classroom, allowing small groups to work or study before and after class while also opening into some of the classroom spaces for a larger lecture.

“This allows us to better serve our students, industry partners and gives people in the community a visible, centrally located place to connect with our college in a thriving area,” said GRCC Former President Bill Pink.

Interactive Automotive Technology Classrooms

The automotive program at Ivy Tech Community College’s Indianapolis campus, with the support of industry partners, is designed to be interactive and relevant to current and future industry demands. The program incorporates industry supported and recognized certifications as well as highly qualified instructors who are creating interactive student learning experiences. Due to an increase in available jobs and demand for graduates of Ivy Tech’s Automotive Technology program, the college built a new Automotive Technology Training Center.

This new facility reinforces the state-of-the-art instruction from masters of the industry in a safe and secure environment. The design helps to foster a collaborative environment that fuels relationships between students, faculty, and partners, balanced with places for students and staff to refresh and focus to enhance students’ retention of applicable and working knowledge.

The center features nine labs, seven classrooms, and state-of-the-art facilities to teach students the skills needed to diagnose and service the high-tech systems found on modern vehicles. In partnership with area automotive corporations who use the space for training purposes, the program also offers students paid cooperatives with full job placement upon graduation.

“We’re looking at the industry that we’re trying to create career paths to and working together with our partners to create inclusive facilities that prepare our students for the workforce. It’s not just about people who design higher education, it’s about finding people who understand the automotive repair industry to create a real-life world where students are going to learn and understand what’s needed for their field,” said Aaron Roberts, Executive Director of Administrative Services – Central Indiana, Ivy Tech Community College.